Time for transition to clean energy

As a New York businessman, I was pleased to see President Barack Obama, Sen. Charles Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand support a plan to put strong carbon pollution limits on new and existing power plants. Storms like "Sandy" have proven this is critical, not just for our health and our environment, but also for our economy.

Power plants are the single largest source of industrial carbon pollution in our nation. Remaining dependent on dirty energy exacerbates climate change and hurts our economy through the increasing private and, especially, public-sector costs of preparing for extreme weather and dealing with its aftermath.

By investing to mitigate the problem now, we can avoid future costs, both economic and human, which surely will be much higher if nothing is done.

Cutting carbon pollution will help us transition to cleaner energy sources that create jobs and drive American innovation. For the sake of our planet, our children - and New York's economy - our nation is right to act to cut carbon from power plants.